


Fragile

by orphan_account



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-19
Updated: 2015-03-19
Packaged: 2018-03-18 15:27:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3574607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inquisitor becomes ill after her travels, and with the infirmary full Cullen decides to care for the Inquisitor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fragile

Running his hand down his face, Cullen tries to wipe of the stress that creased his face. Piles of papers stood tall on his sturdy desk, a tower of duty and work. Skyhold is overwhelmed with work recently, and the advisors of the Inquisitor are running amok with responsibilities. Cullen, taking a deep sigh as preparation for the next set of work, reaches forward for the ink when his door opens. He sighs at first, thinking it was more paperwork that had arrived from the scouts, until a familiar voice peers over the tower of papers.

"Cullen?"

He looks up, meeting eye to eye with the Inquisitor, as she holds a report in her hands.

"Doesn't Leliana's scouts deliver those to me instead?" he asks as he looks back down at his current report. Evelynn smiles and places it down on the smallest pile, moving around his table to stand beside him, looking over his shoulder.

"They looked busy, so I thought I'd help them out" she says as she skims over the untouched paperwork. Just looking at the amount of work piled on the table made her shudder at the though of doing them. She shifts her gaze onto Cullen, who is drilling his eyes towards his share of work and doesn't notice her stare. However, a cough that she tried to hold in forced itself out of Evelynn, making it sound a bit painful and breaking Cullen's focus. He shows her a worried look, which she tries to deflect with a wiry smile, but another cough had escaped her again.

"Are you alright?" Cullen asked, as he stood up from his chair, only to be gestured by Evelynn to sit back down again.

"I'm fine, really. Just a small cold I suppose," she said as she gently pushed him back into his hair, but Cullen's concern for her hasn't disappeared yet. He places his hand on her forehead, her dark brown hair slipping in between his fingers as the warmth from his skin soothes her.

"You're... cold. Unnaturally cold," Cullen said sternly as he stands up, not letting Evelyn stop his assistance. He kept his hand on his forehead, as he tries to warm her freezing cold forehead. Evelynn's face gradually goes red, finding comfort in the warmth as well the touch of his hand, making her heart pump faster than usual. He moves his hand from her forehead, releasing a dizzy spill that washed over Evelynn, making her collapse to the ground as Cullen catches her as he shouts her name. She found it hard to breathe, like her chest was being tightened and strangled as she fought the the swirling of her vision, making her lose balance in the world around her. Cullen starts to panic slightly, he wasn't prepared for her to become so weak so suddenly, she looked just as she was just a few moments ago.

He lifts her up, carrying her body between his arms and his chest, letting her head rest below the crevice of his neck. The rise and fall of her chest was heavy, desperately grasping the air as it choked on itself, straining her need to breathe. Her body's temperature was cold, her fingers as cold as ice, but her head had suddenly gone hot with a fever, making her face flush in a red glow. He kneed open the door, making his way towards Skyhold's doctors while keeping his eye on Evelynn as she was falling apart in his arms.

"Help!" he cried as he got near a doctor, catching their attention as they moved in on her. The doctor began checking her temperature, noticing her odd condition, and tells Cullen to lay her down on the ground. As the doctor continued to inspect her, he grew impatient on the diagnosis. "What's wrong with her?" he asks commandingly, desperately needing an answer.

The doctor shakes their head and sighs, "She's been stubborn, the Inquisitor. She got injured by a dagger in one of her missions, a pretty bad gash too, and didn't come back from the Fallow Mire until it became infected. Tried to make her rest but... she insisted on working-"

"Then tie her down and MAKE her not work!" Cullen shouted, losing his temper and forcing the blame onto the doctor, which he regrets instantly as an expression of shock spread onto the doctor and averts his eyes. "Her life's in danger now because she..." he takes another look at her, viewing the severity of her sickness. She had curled up into his chest, weakly sitting up on his body as she could barely keep her eyes open or even speak. She was so frail that he feared her condition taking her life even more, losing a leader against the fight against Corypheus was one thing, but something tugged at his mind that there was something else, some other reason he wanted her alive.

"I... should leave her in your care now, doctor, do your best that she-"  
"Just a moment, Commander" the doctor cut him off. The doctor hesitates for a second, before mustering the courage to tell him. "All the beds in Skyhold's infirmary are... full."

"Full?!" he exclaimed, angry at the predicament.

"A large amount of injured soldiers had returned to Skyhold just moments ago and are now recieving treatment," the doctor says. "Her treatment should be straightforward, Commander. With the recent arrival of new supplies we should be able to get the Inquisitor back to health in no time, but she needs a warm bed to rest in, and they are all occupied, even for the Inquisitor." 

"Then I'll take her to her quarters," he said as he stood up again, with Evelynn still cradled in his arms. "Just give me the medicine she needs to take and what else I need to know." The doctor nods at the order and arrived back quickly with the necessary herbs.

"Rub this over her wound to disinfect the infection and wrap it with this gauze, and feed her this to help her fight the illness," the doctor says as he hands over the medicine and bandage. "Keep watch and make sure she doesn't get too hot, too cold, or too dehydrated." With a nod, Cullen moves to Evelynn's quarters, ignoring the gasps of worry and whispering in the Great Hall as they passed by.

He moved towards her bed, laying her down on it and taking off her boots before covering Evelynn with her blanket. Cullen went to close the windows, making sure the cold draft wouldn't make her worse. He took off his armor, making him able to move around quickly as the freedom of his shirt and trousers wouldn't restrict his movements, propping it against the wall with a clang. She weakly squirmed under her covers, mumbling something quietly to Cullen which he barely catches. Checking her condition again, he notices that her body began to fight her sickness violently, making her sweat profusely as her body excelled heat. She wouldn't be able to recover if her sweat soaked her clothes and made her skin sticky, so he moved towards her lavatory to return with a bucket of water and a cloth.

He sat Evelynn up, undoing the buttons on her uniform to fulfill his duty of taking care of her.

"What... are you doing?" Evelynn said quietly under her breath, making Cullen freeze up. Maker's breath, he was undressing the Inquisitor without realizing. His own face became red with embarrassment as he stopped what he was doing, looking towards the scenery outside her window to avoiding looking at her. He was a grown man, another naked person shouldn't faze him this much, but it bothered how he was literally stripping the leader of a growing organization which fought against evil forces. Evelynn notices his embarrassment and couldn't help but giggle a little bit, she found it cute seeing him flustered. Despite the awkwardness of him being on top of her as he took off her clothes, she turned serious and understands the situation, he only wants to see her get better.

"It's... fine if you see me naked. It's... for good, right? You just want me to recover," she said reassuringly, using her strength to pat his shoulder. Cullen, still stammering under his breath, starts to calm down. She was right, both of them just want her to get better from the illness. With a shy cough to dispel the awkwardness, he nods at her permission and continues to take off her uniform. Her skin was glossy with the sweat coming out and warm to his touch as he slipped her arms through the sleeves, removing the first piece of clothing and placing it on her bed. He reaches towards the cloth, soaking it in clean cold water, as he wipes the inquisitor's skin. He held her head steady as he cleaned the back of her neck, her forehead, her chest, under her arms, with every wipe Evelynn sighed at the relief of being clean.

He avoided her breasts because he was worried of what message that could send to the inquisitor, but he remembered her words, and takes off her breast band. He soaks the cloth again, and begins to wipe her chest, feeling the rhythm of her heart and the rise and fall of her breathing as well. Even though he tried not to think about it, he blushed at the softness of her bosom as his hand skims over the skin briefly. He moves his hand towards her back, wiping it clean of sweat as Evelynn leaned on Cullen. She blinked slowly, tiredly while she rested on his broad shoulders, gently nuzzling her head into a comfortable place. She smiled while her face was hidden in his neck, taking in the warmth that he was emitting from his body. Cullen dresses her back in her breast band after he finishes, and lies her on her back to wipe her legs, taking off her pants by sliding his hand down her leg, removing it one leg at a time. He slides the cloth down from her bottom to her calves, doing it quickly on both legs before grabbing the herbs the doctor had given him. He focuses on her wound, the large gash that stretched across the left side of her abdomen, and presses the herb down on it gently before wrapping it down with gauze.

"Your face..." Evelynn says as he finishes bandaging the wound, she reaches out to cup his cheek. Her thumb slides across his the furrow in his brow as an attempt to relax him. "You're still worried."

"Of course I am," he replied in a deep voice, his concerned rumbled in his words as he whispered it delicately to her. His eye's widen slightly, he became intimate towards Evelynn without realizing."It would be.... uh... a shame! If... if.. we lost you now..." he said shyly, standing up from her bed to getting some water for Evelynn to drink for the medicine. He returned with a cup in his hand, and sat back on the bed where Evelynn lies. He gives the medicine to Evelynn, putting some in her mouth when she opens it, he moves in to give her water to drink slowly tilting the cup upwards as she swallows the herbs. With the required medicine and precautions fulfilled, he tucked her into her bed, bringing the covers over her shoulders. She smiles at the comfort and care Cullen had given her, as they look at each other.

Cullen, drawn to her smile, averts his eyes to break himself away from her.

"Well. I should head back to my work. Rest well... I suppose" he said as he quickly walked out of her room, giving Evelynn barely enough time for the chance to thank him, reaching out as a small attempt to stop him, but she was too late as her door closes with a soft thud. Cullen began to march back to his desk, his duties, his paperwork, he was ready to shoulder the work he had neglected for a moment. He began to compile a list in his head on what to do, he needed to sign the reports, approve the builders, send scouts to the North....

He stopped in his tracks, his next thought being to check up on the inquisitor. She had somehow made her way in between his work, but he shouldn't need to worry about her, right? She was fine and safe resting in her bed... The memory of the doctor's words echoed faintly in his head, keep watch...

Evelynn rested quietly in her bed, she was comfortable and clean, she tries to close her eyes and sleep, but her eyes would flip back open again as she dwells on not being able to thank Cullen for his time. She sighs at the disappointment as she rolls over on her bed. Her head perks up when she hears the soft clink of the door opening, and a small patch of blonde curly hair peered through the gap of her door, slowly letting himself back in.

Cullen approaches her again, rubbing his neck shyly as he forms the words he would say to her.

"I wouldn't... be able to focus if our leader was unsupervised... no?" he said timidly, keeping his eyes averted, but his gaze would be captured by the smile that beamed from Evelynn's face. It was a soft, heart warming smile that she couldn't help but show, as she nodded in approval. "I would like that," she said, Cullen grabs a stool to sit beside her on her bed.

It was silent between them that hung for a few seconds, Cullen blushing slightly a the situation he was in, there was a query he needed to get out.

"So... was my care, satisfactory?" he asks, the thought of her naked resurfaces and makes him blush even harder. Evelynn smirks at his embarrassment, "To be honest, I was hoping either Josephine or Leliana walking in while you were caring for me. I can't imagine how they would react to your actions without any context," she laughed.

Cullen sighs at the idea, getting caught by Leliana and Josephine would become hell for him, with the possibility of endless teasing, "Please don't tease me like that, Inquisitor." She continues to laugh lightheartedly before a cough stops it in it's tracks. The silence returned, queuing Evelynn's time to sleep, but it wasn't time yet.

"Cullen, come a bit closer," she says quietly. Frowning a bit confused, Cullen moves his face closer to her's, thinking there was something she wanted to say. He was thrown off-guard however, when Evelynn plants a kiss on his cheek, her lips pressing softly against his skin. She could feel his face go hot as the heat began to touch her lips, even radiating to her own face. She moved her lips to his ear, whispering a small "Thank you" before she rests her head back into her pillow.

Cullen could barely look at her, putting his hand over his face to hide it's redness, as Evelynn falls into a comfortable sleep smiling.


End file.
